Parents have long been concerned about the their children spending too much time in front of the television, or watching shows that the parents would rather they not watch. In many office environments, where sensitive information is stored on electronic computers, there is a clear interest in preventing access to a computer by other than authorized personnel. And generally, the interest in controlling and restricting access to any device powered by electricity may involve issues of security, propriety and control.
While various means exist to control access to televisions (e.g., V-Chip), computers (e.g., various types of security programs) and other devices, these are all generally of a "high-technology" nature, and understanding or controlling these devices is often beyond abilities of many people, who may have difficulty even with the relatively simple task of programming a VCR. Further, these means are often specific to the particular device, and do not provide a simple, low-cost, easy-to-use solution for universally controlling and restricting access to any and all devices powered by electricity in a fully generic manner.